


Stay By Me, My Love

by AceofSpades (TheSilverPen)



Series: My Ace of Spades [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cute, Drama & Romance, F/M, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-01-16 20:22:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12350007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilverPen/pseuds/AceofSpades
Summary: After the fall of the tower, Faraday wasn't sure she'd ever find the people she'd come to call family. She was just lucky to find Cayde-6 first.Based off a thought I had of what if the guardian had found Cayde right off the bat and kept him with her for the whole journey?





	1. Rise from the Ashes

The last city was gone. The tower was gone. Everything that the guardians and the humans alike had known and relied on, was gone. Faraday had barely survived being tossed from the cliff, but she was a strong warlock. She wasn’t about to let some cabal who made himself king wipe her out. “Fara!” her Ghost cried out. “You’re alive!” 

Faraday chuckled and shakily clamored to her feet. “Yeah, yeah. I’m alive. You think I’d really go down that easily?” She questioned. The ghost shook, as if to shake its head. “Is everyone gone?” She asked, looking around at the massive destruction that had taken place. 

“I’m afraid so, Fara. I’m not picking up any life signs.” Ghost replied. Faraday shook her head and picked up the gun laying nearby. She recognized the pattern on it as Cayde’s favorite gun. That meant he had to be nearby somewhere. Or at least, his body was nearby… 

Faraday frowned and placed the gun in her holster. If Cayde-6’s body was nearby, she was determined to find it. If Zavala and Ikora had survived, they would want to know what had become of their fallen comrade and would want to bury him the proper way. Ghost disappeared into Faraday’s backpack and the two set off. It wasn’t long before they stumbled on a nervous, damaged ghost buzzing around a body in a cave. Faraday recognized the ghost as being Cayde’s and raced over. Cayde’s ghost was almost impossible to forget, considering the paint job he’d given it. His Ghost was a metallic blue that matched his skin color, with bright red stripes painted across the arms of it. “Is Cayde alive?” Faraday asked the ghost, kneeling beside the body of the fallen Hunter Vanguard. 

“Barely.” The Ghost chirped sadly. “He took some damage from the fall. I healed what I could but he hasn’t woken up.” Fara frowned, lifting Cayde’s body off of the ground. “Neither of us are in good shape, but we need to get Cayde out of here and find some help. Someone else has to have survived.” She sighed. Both Ghosts nodded in response and Faraday set to work, fashioning a cot to transport Cayde. “It’s late,” she sighed. “We need to set up a camp for the night.” Faraday and the two Ghosts set to work, fashioning a makeshift camp in a cave nearby. Faraday grabbed Cayde’s knife from its holster and set off to find something for dinner. Managing to snag some berries and couple pieces of wildlife, she returned to camp and started a small fire. She knew she had to keep the fire small and low, just enough to warm them and cook the food. If it was too big, it would be easier for them to be spotted. 

Faraday had barely bit into her first piece of meat before Cayde began to stir. “Mmm..,what smells so good?” He asked, his blue eyes slowly lighting up. He sat up slowly, wincing at the movement. “I snagged some food. Eat, if you feel like it.” She urged. Cayde grabbed a piece of meat and bit into it. Fara watched him eat, checking for signs that he was about to shut down again and leave her to drag his body through the wilderness. 

“What?” Cayde asked, finishing his food.

“Just making sure you’re not about to go all dead robot on me again.” Faraday commented. Cayde shrugged, which caused him to wince again. “How bad is your damage?” She asked. 

“I fell from a cliff, landed on a metal pole, stumbled down a second hole and got shot by a couple shanks. I feel like a piece of cheese. I’ve got holes all through me, I’m leaking coolant and other fluids and I’m not entirely sure how I’m functioning, but I am.” Cayde recounted. 

“Damn. Sounds like you took the brunt of it. Think you can make a trek through the wilderness to look for help?” She asked, moving over to examine Cayde’s wounds. “This one’s not too bad. I think I can do some repairs and get you feeling a little less hole-y.” 

Cayde chuckled. “Nice one. I don’t know if I can make the trek but I’m not about to be left in a cave for the fallen to pick apart, so I’ll try.” He replied as Faraday set to work.


	2. Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cayde and Fara have made it out of the woods, finally finding a place to rest.

Faraday wasn’t sure how many days it had been. It felt more like weeks if she was being honest, and Cayde wasn’t fairing too well the longer they were out. She’d managed to rip some wires from an old burnt out sparrow to repair some of the minor damage Cayde had taken. The two of them had come across a campsite of some Guardians that hadn’t made it, gathering as many supplies as they could. They’d even been lucky enough to find some ammo, which had come in handy when they ran across a beast tamer and his pack of war beasts. Cayde had taken some more damage from that fight, and Fara was afraid that the hunter wasn’t going to take much more. “Fara…” Cayde panted, as if to confirm her thoughts. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Things are getting a little…fuzzy…” Suddenly, Cayde dropped to the ground, the light fading from his eyes. He hit the ground like a ton of bricks and his Ghost popped out of his bag. 

“He’s not getting up from this one. He’s alive but he doesn’t have enough coolant left for me to revive him. His core temperature is rising and I can’t cool him any other way than to shut him down.” The Ghost explained. Faraday sighed, grabbing Cayde’s body and dragging him to the little sheltered cave they’d found. Tucking him safely inside, she set out again to find more food. Leaving Cayde behind in a cave wasn’t ideal, but she’d left his Ghost to watch him and she still needed to eat if either of them were going to make it. 

“Ghost, what’s our chances of making it out of this and finding help?” She mused, the quiet of the wilderness getting to her. 

“Less than 5%.” The Ghost chirped. Fara glared at him for making it sound so happy. A shot rang out from the hills and suddenly, before she could even think, two beast tamers and a legionary had swarmed her. Faraday took down the first beast tamer easily, but the second one and the legionary weren’t going down so quickly. The legionary got a shot into her, wounding her and causing her to stumble backwards. Getting shot hurt a lot more when your Ghost couldn’t patch you up in 2 seconds. Suddenly, two shots rang out from behind her and the legionary and beast tamer fell dead at her feet. She spun around to see Cayde, barely standing, holding his gun in his shaking hand. Fara raced over, helping Cayde back to the cave. “What are you doing?! You could’ve gotten killed!” She yelled, setting him down as gently as she could. 

Cayde shook his head, trying to act tough. “I wasn’t about to let you get killed out there.” He replied. He shifted, untying his cape and pulling it off. Fara had never seen Cayde without his cape, and she knew Hunters prized their capes almost more than their knives. “We can use it as a blanket. It’s cold out there and we can’t risk a fire.” Fara nodded, tossing the cape over the two of them as best she could. Cayde was asleep before Fara could say anything and she took the cue, dozing off as well. 

*****

Cayde was the first awake the next morning, the ache of the chill settling into his injuries made them hurt worse. “Cayde, you should be lying down. You’re only encouraging more coolant to leak out.” Ghost scolded. Cayde waved him off, limping toward the opening of the cave. It was quiet, and Cayde had never been one for quiet. Despite his history and how he’d wound up an Exo, the hum of machinery and whir of the tools in the hanger had been his favorite sounds. He’d often slip in there when it was quiet in the command room and just listen to the sounds for a while. It had led to quite a few Hunters, as well as Ikora, getting mad at him from time to time when he couldn’t be found, but he hadn’t cared. Sometimes a guy just needed his vices. Now though, he didn’t have that option. He couldn’t just escape to the hanger and relax by the ship bay. He was stuck in the unforgiving wilderness outside the safety of the tower with no help in sight. 

The sound of footsteps caused him to look up, snapping out of his thoughts. It was a small group of refugees from the city, armed with guns. He guessed they were looking for survivors, but he couldn’t be sure. The leader of the group turned, catching sight of Cayde’s metal glimmering in the sun. “OVER THERE! IT’S A GUARDIAN!” A girl shouted. Soon enough, the group had arrived to where Cayde and Faraday were hiding. “How did you two survive?” 

“We got lucky.” Cayde replied. “But we’re hurt bad.” The girl nodded, helping him toward a vehicle they had. Once loaded in, the group picked up Fara and loaded her into the back of the vehicle as well. The flight to their base was long, and Cayde slept most of the way. Fara, however, couldn’t sleep. She sat near Cayde, worrying over his injuries. She’d never seen the Hunter so weak before, and even if he was weak, he never let it show. This was different. Cayde was scared just as much as she was. They didn’t have the one thing that made them nearly invincible and for the first time, they were forced to face their mortality. They landed and Fara was the first out of the ship. Cayde hadn’t wanted to walk, so the rescuers had carried him to the medical area they’d set up at the camp. Technicians and medical personnel swarmed Cayde, working together on his injuries. 

“You two are lucky we found you.” The leader of the group said, taking a seat next to Fara. “I’m Hawthorne. I’m leading this little ragtag band, I suppose. Not my usual job, but someone’s gotta do it.” 

“Thank you. Without you, Cayde and I might not be here. I don’t know that we would have made it much longer.” Fara replied.

Hawthorne nodded. “He’s in pretty bad shape, isn’t he?” As if to answer her, Cayde’s ghost appeared. 

“Cayde took severe damage to his coolant system as well as some other essential systems. He should be back to normal soon, however.” The ghost disappeared again, zooming off back towards Cayde. 

“You should get back to him. I’m sure he’d like a familiar face around.” Hawthorne noted. Fara nodded and walked off, making her way back to the medical bay. Cayde was already awake, impatiently tapping his foot as the technician gave him a final check. 

“Can I go now? Please? I have things to do!” Cayde begged, looking ready to tear out of the medical bay at first approval. The technician sighed and nodded, letting him go. He practically bounced out of the room, sprinting his way to Fara. “Woohoo! I’m free!” He laughed. “Take that, Gary! I’m still kickin baby! Woo!” Fara laughed and rolled her eyes as Cayde danced eagerly. 

He stopped when he caught a few people staring at him and walked coolly over to Fara. “Feeling better?” She asked. Cayde nodded, pulling up his hood of his cloak. “Good. I have a mission to run, but I think Hawthorne could use your help around here.” Cayde let out an annoyed sigh but gave in, watching sadly as Fara took off for her ship she’d borrowed from the farm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's slow going at first but I have some of this done already so I can post a few chapters.


	3. The Waiting Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cayde is a lovebird and can't wait for Fara to return from her journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes at the front whoa! So this establishes a little backstory on Cayde and Fara, and gets into their relationship finally. Also, the next chapter is going to have a bit of a twist...

Cayde bounced nervously, juggling his knife as he scanned the skies for any sign of Fara’s ship. “She’ll be back, you know.” Hawthorne reassured him, startling the exo out of his thoughts. “She’s a strong Guardian, having survived the assault on the Tower.” Cayde sighed, sinking down and dangling his legs over the edge. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” 

“I think I’m falling for her. I don’t know…it’s silly. Here we are, facing the potential end of everything we know and I’m falling in love with a Warlock. Ikora would strangle me. I just…” Cayde trailed off, staring out at the sky.

“You just love her? Look, there’s nothing wrong with falling in love. She saved your life. Besides, who cares if you’re a hunter and she’s a warlock. I’ve seen worse combinations, even between non-guardians. You could do much, much worse, Cayde. She’s a good fit for you.” Hawthorne reassured him. Cayde just nodded, resting his chin on the beam of the fence. It felt like part of him was missing all of a sudden, and he wasn’t sure how to get it back. 

Despite his better judgement, Hawthorne had forced him to rest. He curled up on the mattress that she’d given him, listening to the quiet of the farm. There it was again. Silence. Cayde shifted, trying to find a comfortable way to lay and finally shut his systems off. “Dammit.” He sighed, getting up. He leaned against the wall, staring out at the sky again. Exos weren’t ones to get nervous, but Cayde wasn’t like most. He still silently cursed Clovis Bray for the way that he was. As a punishment, Clovis had thought that leaving Cayde as a human/exo hybrid would make his life harder. He wasn’t wrong. Cayde’s problems were mostly related to the fact that enough of him was human to get in the way of the logic part of his robotic brain. He’d never told anyone, and made sure that Ikora and Zavala never found out. He wasn’t even sure what they would do if they knew. Although he was pretty sure that locking him in the tower and being even more strict would be part of it. 

He let his mind wander. Maybe, if things worked out with Fara, he’d tell her his big secret one day. Maybe she would be the first to know that he was something different altogether. A ship appeared then, and Cayde recognized it as Fara’s. He bolted up, racing down to meet her before she could even disembark. He didn’t know why, or what made him do it, but he ran to her, lifting her up in a hug and spinning her around.

Fara let out a laugh, tapping Cayde’s shoulder. “Whoa there! I’m happy to see you too!” She chuckled. “Now set me down before I get dizzy.” Cayde set her down gently, the grin still spread across his face. “I got my light back, Cayde.” She explained, conjuring a ball of void light. “The Traveler spoke to me.” 

Cayde grinned and suddenly, without thinking, pulled her in for a kiss. Fara tensed at first, but eventually relaxed in the exo’s arms, reciprocating the kiss. “Sorry,” he breathed. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.” Fara was certain that if exos had the ability to blush, he would be. She wrapped her arms around his neck, taking a moment to relax against him. Even getting her light back didn’t make her feel how she felt when she was in Cayde’s arms. His grasp could make her relax, easing all of her worries and fears. As she held on to him, she realized how exhausted she was as her legs buckled under her. “Whoa! Easy there…” Cayde soothed, picking her up and carrying her to where he was staying. The room that Hawthorne had given him wasn’t much, but it had a bed and a place to stow his weapons, so he couldn’t really complain. Cayde set Fara on the bed, watching as she curled up into a ball. He placed a thin blanket over her, laying down next to her. He knew he ran warmer than most, so he tried to keep his distance, but Fara was curled up against him like a cat before he knew it. He stroked her hair, letting his mind wander. She’d accepted him so easily. Cayde was no stranger to love. Of course he’d fallen in love before, who hadn’t? Even Ikora and Zavala had their fair share of loves in their lives. However, Cayde hadn’t always had the best luck with it. Not many people wanted to be with and exo. He understood why. There was still a lot of mystery surrounding them. A lot of humans still believed that exos couldn’t truly experience love or emotions, while others didn’t want to be with someone who couldn’t physically love them back. 

Fara was different. Cayde knew she’d struggled to fit in with the other Guardians from the moment she’d arrived. Despite being a Warlock, she’d hung around Cayde often, much to Ikora’s dismay. However, the more that Fara stayed close to the Vanguard, the more she’d learned from each of them. Ikora had come to see her as her child and had grown protective of the girl. As he watched her sleep, his mind drifted back to his conversation with Ikora the day before the fall. 

_“Cayde,” Ikora called, startling the Hunter out of his thoughts. “We need to speak privately.”_

__

__

_Cayde nodded, following his old fireteam member to a small room adjacent to the main hall. “What’s on your mind? Finally getting tired of Zavala’s incessant chattering too? Never thought I’d see the day.” Ikora rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall._

_“I want to talk to you about the Guardian. About Faraday.” She began. Cayde’s head snapped up, his gaze fixated on the Warlock Vanguard. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. It’s not hard to tell that you feel something for her. Something romantic.” Cayde looked away, trying to avoid looking at her. “Cayde.”_

_He sighed. “Yeah. You’re right. I care for her, more than most I suppose.”_

_Ikora nodded. “No one needs give it, but you have permission to pursue her. However, if you hurt her, you will have to face me. Promise me that you’ll protect her.”_

“I promise…” Cayde whispered, staring up at the stars as he thought of his old friend. Sighing, he laid his head down and let his systems shut down.


	4. A Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fara and Cayde take a day to put their worries aside and relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here it is. The chapter with the theory about Cayde that might be controversial. I heard/read a lore bit that he was more 'human' than most and that's what inspired this. Also, I think someone else in that forum had mentioned the idea of this but I don't remember.

Fara stretched slightly, attempting to work the ache from her bones. She tensed slightly as she felt a presence next to her but relaxed as her mind reminded her that she was with Cayde. She rolled slightly, turning enough to get a look at the sleeping figure next to her. Cayde looked almost peaceful when he slept, but she couldn’t ignore the tiny snores coming from the Exo. Hiding her smile, she eased herself off the bed as silently as she could manage. Even if the world was falling apart, right now, just for a moment, things felt almost normal. The bond between Fara and Cayde had always been undeniable. From the moment she’d first arrived at the tower all those years ago, something had drawn her to the Hunter Vanguard. Cayde had often joked that she should have been reborn as a hunter, but they knew the choice wasn’t theirs. Cayde shifted in his sleep and his shirt slipped up. Fara couldn’t help but stare at what she was seeing. Exos were made entirely of metal, but she swore she could see flesh on his stomach. She knelt beside him, lifting his shirt ever so slightly. Her eyes widen as she realized that it wasn’t her eyes playing tricks on her. Cayde wasn’t completely Exo. 

As careful as she’d been, Cayde’s eyes opened as he woke. “What are you – oh.” He stopped, staring at his stomach where his shirt had ridden up. “So, I guess you want an explanation, right?” Fara nodded, staring at him. Cayde let out a sigh and sat up. “I was human once. It was… a long time ago. Before the fall of the Golden Age. I worked for a man and a company named Clovis Bray. I had a lot of debts that I owed him and in order to pay for them, he sent me on an assignment. In order to do the assignment, he sent me to become an Exo. Of course, he decided that wasn’t enough. To make me really pay for what I’d done, he turned me into some kind of Exo-Human cross. I’ve never told anyone except…” he trailed off, looking at the ground.

“Except me?” Fara asked. 

“You, and my friend Andal Brask.” Cayde sighed. “He knew, and he swore to never tell. Then he died, and I suddenly was the Vanguard. I never told Zavala or Ikora because I knew it would only make them be stricter with me.” He explained. She nodded and took Cayde’s hand, her gaze meeting his. He knew she wouldn’t tell. There was a level of trust between the two of them that went deeper than most. 

Fara got up, offering her hand to Cayde. He took it, standing and stretching. “Alright, we need to get you out of this mood you’re in. I found two sparrows in decent shape on the hill. Let’s go have some fun today, hm?” 

“Shouldn’t we be looking for Zavala or Ikora?” Cayde asked, getting changed into his armor. 

“Yes, but I think after everything we’ve been through, we can afford a little adventure. Come on, it’ll be fun! I thought you never turned down the opportunity for some loot.” Fara smirked, knowing how to push the Exo’s buttons. 

Cayde’s eyes lit up and he took off, running for the sparrows. Fara followed close behind, making sure not to lose track of Cayde. He was already on the sparrow before she could even blink, taking off for the wilds. “Catch me if you can, Warlock!” He called, speeding away. Fara let out a laugh and took off in attempt to catch up with him. Cayde took out a few Fallen as they went, eventually coming to a stop by an old dilapidated building. “I wonder if it’s still here…” he mused, starting to climb the rubble.

“What?” Fara asked, following him swiftly. 

“When I was here last before the fall,” he began, hoisting himself up onto the ledge with some effort. “I left a stash here. Found an old chest, stuffed it full of weapons, glimmer, pretty much anything I had on me that I didn’t want to carry around and left it here.” He explained, climbing up and swinging himself onto the ledge. Fara followed swiftly, jumping expertly from ledge to ledge until she’d reached the top where Cayde was just now climbing onto. “Show-off.” He muttered, standing and brushing the dust from his clothes. He wandered around the building, peeking behind rubble to see if the chest was still there. He let out a little yell as he found the chest, opening it. “YES! Look at all that glimmer, baby! Woo!” He pulled out the glimmer chunks, taking most of them for himself but handed a few to Fara. The two divided up the weapons and Cayde grabbed the last item out of the chest – a crumpled piece of paper.

Fara sat beside him as he unfolded it, reading it carefully. “What is it, Cayde?” She asked, trying to peek over his shoulder.

“Ah, it’s…it’s a journal page. I used to write to Ace. He was, well, I think that he was my son a long time ago. Before the fall of the Golden Age.” He sighed. “I don’t remember much from that time. Hell, I don’t even know if Ace is real, but I read an old page where I wrote him a note before I changed. I called myself dad… I had a family once, I guess. I don’t know.” Fara frowned and placed her hand on Cayde’s shoulder.

“I’m here for you, you know that. Whatever happens, I’m here. If you ever remember anything about them and you want to talk, I’m always around.” She offered. Cayde nodded and leaned his head on her shoulder. It was strange. If you looked at the two of them, they were the same age. Not that Exos really ever aged or showed age, but she knew what Cayde considered himself to be. However, they were both much older than they let on. They were old souls, the two of them. Fara herself had been alive during the Golden Age a long time ago, but she didn’t remember anything from then. That was the thing about being a Guardian. You were old, impossibly old, but you never really knew where you came from. Cayde had been alive back then too. Maybe they’d even known each other back then. Who knew? None of it mattered now, but somehow it made their connection stronger. 

Fara sighed and looked out at the land before them. Things were so uncertain now that moments like this were rare. A group of fallen appeared and Cayde hopped down and started firing before Fara could even react. She couldn’t help but smile as she joined him, feeling a little bit more relaxed about everything. It was all going to be okay if she had Cayde by her side.


	5. Affairs of the Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Zavala and Cayde attempt to have a conversation about romances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's chapter 5. I may start posting some one shots every now and then when I can't think of how to further this but here we are.

It had been a spotty comms message at best, but it had been enough to send Fara off on a mission to Titan to find Zavala. Cayde had begged to come with her, but she’d refused. She didn’t know what she was facing and she didn’t want to risk losing Cayde if the whole thing was a bust. Besides, without his light, he wasn’t able to fully heal like she could. If something went wrong and he got seriously injured, there was no guarantee that he could be saved. 

Cayde sat on the peak of a high hill, absentmindedly tossing his knife over and over in his hands. He’d been there since Fara had taken off that morning and he wasn’t bound to move now. It was away from the prying eyes of the survivors at the farm and a good vantage point to watch for her ship. The sound of footsteps behind him made him turn swiftly, his knife poised to throw. “Relax, Cayde. It’s just me.” Hawthorne said, taking a seat next to him. “Missing her?” She asked, staring up at the sky.

Cayde nodded quietly, not trusting his voice to not betray his stoic appearance. The two sat in silence for a while, Cayde pondering how things had gotten this bad and Hawthorne wondering what the future held for humanity. The sound of cheering caused the two to look over and see a bunch of lightless Guardians playing soccer with an old ball they’d found. “It’s good to see them enjoying themselves. Things are tough right now and I think they needed a break.” Cayde nodded, watching them play. For a minute, he wished he were down there with them, able to find joy in such simple things. He’d seen too much, he knew that. He was an old soul, older than most and it had its effects on him. If Fara were here, she’d be encouraging him to play with them and to find some joy in the free moments. 

He stood and hopped down, walking towards the field. “Hey. Need one more? I might be a stuffy old Vanguard but I’m still light on my feet.” He joked. The Guardians nodded and one of them kicked the ball his way. They played for a solid hour, Cayde losing himself in the game for once. He felt free and unafraid for the first time in a while. Eventually, the sun started to go down and everyone dispersed, making their way back to their sleeping areas. Cayde climbed up to the loft of the old barn, crawling into his corner and curling up to sleep. As his systems shut down, he silently begged for Fara to come back home safe.

**********  
The morning sun broke through the holes in the rafters, warming Cayde and stirring him awake. He sat up, patting a chicken that had wandered up on the head. He stared out the window, looking for Fara’s ship. “We need to find Ikora and get the team back together.” Zavala’s gruff voice rang out. Cayde hopped up, leaping down from the loft. Zavala jumped back, startled by the sudden appearance of the Exo. “Cayde. Glad to see you’re alive and present. I’ve sent Faraday off to find Ikora. You and I should get started on the plan of attack.” 

Cayde looked at him, alarmed. “I missed her?! How long was I asleep?!” 

“Fara left two hours ago. Hawthorne told me you fell asleep ten hours ago. I assume you must have needed the rest. Don’t feel bad, Cayde. We’ve all taken a lot in recent days. She’ll return shortly, I’m certain.” Zavala replied, raising his eyebrow at Cayde’s outburst. The Hunter sunk onto a stool, letting himself droop visibly. “You act as though you love her.” 

“Wh-what? No…no I just uh, miss her is all. Y’know, she saved my life so I uh…” Cayde stuttered over his words, silently thanking his inability to blush. 

Zavala seemed amused at Cayde’s flustered appearance, a small smile creeping on to his face. “It’s alright. You don’t have to admit it to me if you wish not to. I can tell when someone is in love. I may be a Vanguard but I’m not oblivious to matters of the heart. I was in love once too.” 

Cayde looked up, knowing this was a rare moment. Zavala almost never spoke of his romances. “You mean Eris?” He asked. Zavala nodded but stayed quiet. Eris Morn and Zavala had been in a relationship briefly a couple of years ago, but it had been intense when they were together. It had hurt him when she left and he’d barely spoken about her since she left. “I won’t end up like that. I won’t lose myself. I promise.” Cayde confirmed. Zavala nodded, his face stoic. 

The sound of a ship landing sent the two of them hurrying towards the docking area to see what it was. Fara and Ikora popped out of the ship, walking swiftly towards the two men. Ikora embraced Cayde and Zavala each swiftly before following them into the barn. It wasn’t long before a plan had been created and Faraday was off again, in search of the next piece to the plan. It all seemed to be moving so fast that Cayde’s head was spinning. Before he knew it, they’d enacted he plan and he was stabbing a Cabal in the neck.


	6. Bittersweet Victories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghaul's not the only one who's gone. Will Fara find a way to fix Cayde?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been playing around with this chapter a lot. I have an idea for something I want to do to Cayde but I don't know if I should. I love him being this Exo/Human cross so much, but I want to turn him into something else. What do you guys think?

Fara’s fight had been long and hard, but she’d made it. The Almighty was shut down and it was time to take the fight to Ghaul himself. Fara had to admit, she was nervous. It seemed silly, having taken on some of the most fearsome foes in the universe, but she couldn’t help but feel that all too familiar feeling welling up inside of her. Maybe this time it was because she had someone to come home to. Someone to keep alive. At this point, she didn’t even know where Cayde was. Comms had been spotty at best the entire time she was on The Almighty, and now wasn’t much better. She landed near the tower, at the coordinates that Zavala had given her. “Guardian! We need help! We can’t hold this spot much longer!” Zavala’s voice rang out over the Comms. Fara pressed on, running as fast as she could. She fought her way through legions of enemies, making her way to where Cayde was setting up the teleporter. 

“Good to see you, Fara.” He greeted. Fara nodded, glad her helmet was hiding her face. Cayde had taken a beating as the rest of them had, but his was worse. He was missing an arm and a leg, coolant dripping from the torn joints. Fara steadied herself and jumped into the teleporter as tears filled her vision. _Not now._ She thought. _You can’t cry right now._ Taking a deep breath, she landed and gripped her gun a little tighter as Ghaul appeared. 

The fight was the worst she’d been in for a long time, and she had to admit she was struggling without a fireteam. They’d always been by her side and now she was doing this alone. She crouched down behind a pillar, gathering her strength. “Fara,” Cayde’s voice came over the comms. It sounded strained and she wanted to hold him so badly. “You can do this. You’ve got this. I know you do. I believe in you, kid. Hell, I love you. We might die, so I’m saying it.” A smile spread across her face and she let out a little laugh. 

“I love you too, Cayde. Now get off my comms so I can kick Ghaul’s ass and get home.” She teased. The comms clicked off and she resumed her fight. It took everything she had, but finally he was defeated. The Traveler landed the final blow and a wave of light swept the universe. She’d done it. The Traveler was saved, the guardians had their light back, and Ghaul had been defeated. Zavala and Ikora had rallied the survivors and the Tower had been rebuilt. Once again, the Guardians and the humans had a home again, and things were back to normal. However, no one could ignore the glaring fact that Cayde was gone. The Hunter Vanguard hadn’t made it back to the Tower, and Ikora and Zavala were mourning their fallen team member. 

Fara stepped into the landing zone of the Tower, taking off her helmet and sliding it into her backpack. The Tower should’ve been rejoicing, but instead things were quiet, almost solemn. Hurrying, Fara found Zavala and Ikora talking quietly in the new command center. “What’s going on? We defeated Ghaul and we have the Tower back. Why isn’t everyone rejoicing? I would’ve thought Cayde would’ve been throwing a party by now.” That was when Fara noticed the absence of the Exo hunter. “W-Where’s Cayde? Ikora? What happened?” 

“Cayde…Cayde didn’t survive the final assault. Zavala and I watched him tumble off of the building we were perched on. When the light came back, we waited. We thought that…if he was just too weak that the light would be able to fix him. He never came back. We haven’t been able to get any life signs from his location either. I’m sorry, Faraday.” 

Fara’s face filled with hurt and shock as she backed up slowly. “No. No!” She cried, taking off for her ship. Before anyone could see the tears filling her eyes, she threw her helmet on and jumped into her ship, rocketing towards the place Cayde had last been seen. She landed the ship and jumped out, ready to fight anything in her way. “It’s quiet…” she mused, looking around.

“The Red Legion no longer occupy this area. However, we should hurry. Cayde is after all a robot, and if the fallen find him first…” Ghost trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought. Fara nodded solemnly, knowing what he was implying. A faint chirp attracted Fara’s attention, drawing her to a little alleyway. Cayde’s ghost sat on a rock, chirping worriedly. Fara hurried over, searching her mind for the name that Cayde had given his ghost. 

“Riley?” she asked, trying not to startle the poor thing. The ghost spun around, lighting up when it spotted Fara. 

“Oh thank the Traveler you’re here! He won’t wake up… I’ve tried everything… I did as much repairing as I could but I can’t rebuild him.” The ghost explained. Fara stepped around the rock, finding Cayde’s body. It was a shock, seeing him like that. His left leg was missing below the knee, and his right arm was gone from the elbow down. The worst part, however was the metal pole running through his body. He’d fallen on it, the pole piercing straight through his body like a stake. Fara could barely stand to look at him. His face was dark, no light in his eyes or behind his mouth, although his mouth was stuck open in a scream. Coolant leaked from the sides of his mouth, mixed with blood. She knew it was bad, and that he had little chance. She stepped forward, pulling the pole out of him. Coolant bubbled up through the gaping hole in his chest and his ghost worked quickly to try and stop the leak. “He needs help! I can’t stop the leak! Hurry!” 

Fara picked Cayde up, transmatting back into her ship as quickly as possible. “Fly fast.” Her ghost urged. She nodded and flipped the thrusters up to full speed. They were at the tower before they knew it and a medical team was waiting to take Cayde. Ikora and Zavala stood by the docking bay, awaiting Fara’s return. She popped out of her ship, helping the medical team to get Cayde onto the stretcher. They were gone in a flash, leaving her staring after them with Ikora and Zavala behind her. “Faraday, we need to speak.” Ikora stated, her voice firm. 

Fara spun around, fury and fire in her eyes. “No! I’m done talking. You two teach the importance of fireteams and never leaving a member behind and yet you ran off leaving Cayde to die out there! We have nothing to discuss unless you would like to tell me why the hell you left him out there like that!” She shouted, aware that her voice was drawing a crowd. “He’s alive because of me, and if he wakes up at all, I’ll be sure to tell him that his two friends abandoned him.” Fara stormed off, making her way to the medical bay. She paced back and forth, waiting to hear something about Cayde. Would he even be the Cayde they knew if he woke up? Exos were known for being wiped, and she was almost certain that something like this constituted a wipe. A technician appeared, snapping her out of her thoughts. 

“Guardian, Cayde-6’s lead technician has requested to speak with you. She would also like to speak with the remaining two Vanguard members.” The technician announced. Fara followed the technician, knowing that the footsteps behind her were that of Ikora and Zavala. 

They stepped into the room as the technician began speaking. “Cayde-6 was severely damaged in the fall. His body has gone into lockdown which explains the frozen positioning. He’s missing his right arm and left leg, both which were cut off uncleanly. Reconnecting the arm is possible, the leg is missing. Reconstruction will be difficult. Major damage to the servers in his chest, as well as damage to his organic parts. Overall, I’m afraid he’s a loss.”


	7. A Glimmer of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are finally looking up for Fara and Cayde with the possibility of Cayde's recovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I debated for a long time with where to go. After a lot of debate, I decided Cayde was too loveable as the Exo/Human cross so I decided to leave him that way and work on fixing him.

Fara sat quietly by Cayde’s bedside. Despite what the doctors and technicians had told her, she refused to let him go. As long as his heart was still beating, she knew that he was in there and she wasn’t about to let him slip away so easily. She’d been on countless missions, faced the toughest of foes, and yet, nothing was as hard as watching Cayde slip away from her. Ikora and Zavala had left a while ago, retreating to the Great Hall to talk about what to do. Ultimately, the decision would fall to Fara, though. The Vanguards could suggest options and add their input, but Cayde’s directive made it clear that Fara was the one to choose. She didn’t know when he’d changed that; she was sure it was long before the fall of the Last City. Why he’d done it before they were even together, she didn’t know. Perhaps it was because he trusted her with his life, much the way he trusted Ikora and Zavala. They’d been his fireteam for a long time, and that wasn’t about to change. She felt bad for yelling at them, she really did, but they’d forgotten what it meant to be a guardian. 

She turned the small cube she was holding over and over in her hands. It had been something she’d found during her missions and kept to fidget with from time to time. Footsteps snapped her out of her thoughts, causing her to look up. It was Ikora walking towards her, looking solemn. Fara set the box down on Cayde’s bedside table and shifted in her seat. “Did you come to watch him die?” Fara asked bitterly, not able to bring herself to look at Ikora.

“No,” she began, taking a seat next to Fara. “I came to speak with you.” Fara just shrugged, looking at Cayde as Ikora spoke. “Zavala and I have been talking. We realize how much Cayde means to you, and in turn, how much he means to us. Our fireteam wouldn’t be the same without Cayde. He’s unorthodox at times, but his methods are the reason that we made it out alive a lot of the time. He was always a wildcard but he was our wildcard. Cayde is unique, you know that. It’s why we’ve decided to do everything we can to save him. Amanda Holliday has been brought on to help with the recreation of Cayde’s leg and to reattach the arm. She’s been the one to patch him up before due to her extensive knowledge, so we think she’s the best person for the job. As for the internal organ damage… well, we weren’t sure what to do at first. We weren’t even aware that Cayde wasn’t a full Exo. However, his ghost has said that he can fix those injuries once Cayde is strong enough.” Ikora explained. 

Fara looked up, trying desperately to hide the tears in her eyes. “Thank you.” She breathed, hugging Ikora suddenly. Ikora reciprocated the hug, rubbing Fara’s back gently. “I think I’m going to go lay down. They’ll need space to work anyway.” She sighed. Ikora nodded as Fara walked off before she changed her mind. Exhaustion set in as soon as she left the medical bay. It seemed like she only made it to her quarters by sheer force of will and the routine engrained in her to find it. She waved to one of her teammates, Aubra, before ducking into her room. Changing out of her armor and into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, she sank onto the bed. It felt big and lonely compared to the small space she’d once shared with Cayde at the farm. Her thoughts drifted to sadness once again as she thought about him, wlling herself to fall asleep before she started crying. 

*************  
A knock on the door awoke Fara from her sleep, causing her to bolt upright and rocket off the bed. She flung the door open to find Ikora waiting for her. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Cayde?!” She asked, quickly throwing on a sweater. 

“He’s out of surgery and starting to wake up. I thought you might want to be there when he does.” She replied. Fara pushed past the Vanguard, sprinting as fast as her legs would carry her down the hallway until she reached the medical bay. She flew through the door, desperate to find Cayde. She shouted at the medical technicians to point her to him and they just pointed, startled at her wild outburst. She slowed only once she’d reached his room, stopping and walking in slowly. Taking a seat next to him, she held his hand as she ran her thumb across the back of it. His new arm matched his old one, although the paint was newer than the rest. Amanda had engraved little playing card symbols on the forearm. It was a beautiful piece. 

The sound of a click was followed by Cayde’s bright blue eyes lighting up. “Fara…?” He whispered, his voice quiet and full of pain. 

“I’m right here, Cayde. It’s going to be okay. You’re at the tower, you’re safe. You tried to die on us, but we weren’t going to let that happen.” She smiled softly. Cayde nodded slightly, pressing his head against her arm. She could tell that he was miserable but happy to be alive. “Rest,” she urged. “You’ve been through hell and back.” 

A shudder went through his body as he relaxed, still pressing his forehead to her arm. He tugged at her gently, urging her to crawl in beside him so that he could curl up against her. She obliged, slipping into the bed next to Cayde. He curled up, resting his head on her chest as he tried to escape the pain. She rubbed his back softly, catching Ikora and Zavala peeking in from the doorway as Cayde drifted off. Fara could finally breathe easily knowing that he was safe and alive.


	8. Peace in the Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cayde is recovering and Fara is learning to settle down and stop worrying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is guys. The final chapter of this segment of the series. It's shorter than most of the other chapters but I felt it ended where it needed to.

“If I have to spend one more day in bed I swear I’m going to go insane!” Cayde grumbled, crossing his arms. It had been a couple of weeks since Cayde had woken up and although he’d been released to stay with Fara, he was still on strict bedrest until he healed a little more. 

Fara climbed on the bed, kissing him as she slid onto his lap. “Aw, but I thought you liked staying in bed all day?” She smirked, kissing his neck. Cayde let out a small moan and kissed her cheek.

“Oh, well, now you’re just making it hard to complain.” He replied. Fara smiled, placing kisses along his neck and shoulder. Cayde wrapped his arms around her, flipping the two of them over so that he was on top of her. It was the first moment that either of them felt normal for a change, and after everything they’d been through, it was nice to have a moment of normalcy. Their clothes became scattered throughout the room as they explored each other for the first time. It was in this moment that both of them were grateful for Cayde’s differences from other Exos. 

They fit together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle moving together in perfect rhythm. The two collapsed next to each other, Fara resting her head on Cayde’s chest. She curled up, exhausted and euphoric at the same time. Cayde tugged the blankets around them in case anyone decided to bust in unannounced. “That’s the kind of physical therapy I could get used to.” He smirked, kissing Fara’s forehead. She smiled up at him, too content to speak. Exhausted and happy, they both dozed off.   
*************

The wind blew gently through the tower as Fara stared out at the Traveler and the Earth below. She couldn’t help but think about how lucky they were. Despite all that had happened, most people had made it back alive. There had been some casualties, but what war was without them? Fara herself had lost a friend during the fall, one who’d even been her teammate a few times. Despite all the pain and the loss, they’d rebuilt. They’d come back from the worst possible point and survived what was thought to be impossible. 

Cayde snuck up behind Fara and wrapped his arms around her, staring out at the Traveler. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He asked. 

Fara nodded. “I just had to make sure it was still here. I’m so scared that something else is going to go wrong. What if I can’t stop it?” 

“You’re not the only guardian here. You don’t have to do it all alone, Fara. You’ve got a whole team behind you, as well as other teams. Whatever happens next, we’ll fight it together.” Cayde reassured her. 

She let out a sigh and leaned against him. “You’re right, I know you’re right. I’m sorry, I just…I guess I just get worried is all. I want things to be okay for us. I want a chance for us to have some kind of life.” 

Cayde took hold of her hand in his and stroked the back of it with his thumb. “We’ll be okay. I promise. Maybe it won’t be right away, but we’re going to have a life together, that I can promise you.” Fara relaxed slightly, staring up at her lover’s face. She loved every facet of his features; even the little scratches in his paint. They all served to make him truly him. She didn’t know what she would have done if she’d lost him or had to make a choice that would change his life forever. They were together and that was all that mattered. She didn’t need anything else but Cayde by her side.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm planning to make this a series at some point. The other parts may be short cute one shots.


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